Guardian Focus podcast: UK riots

Riots and looting that began in north London have spread to other English cities. Jonathan Freedland, Dave Hill and Stafford Scott discuss the causes of the worst civil unrest in a generation – and how it might be stopped

The result: four men dead, dozens of injured police, millions of pounds' worth of damage.

Why it happened and how it can be prevented from happening again is now at the top of the political agenda. The prime minister and London mayor returned early from foreign holidays.

In the studio to discuss the issues with Jon Dennis: Stafford Scott, a community organiser from Tottenham; our London blogger Dave Hill, a resident in Hackney; and on the line, Guardian political columnist Jonathan Freedland.

Paul Lewis has followed the disturbances from the first night. He says the issues behind it are complex and we should be wary of generalisations.

In Birmingham, where a murder investigation is under way after the deaths of three young British Asian men, tensions are running particularly high, says Martin Wainwright. Riazat Butt who's also in Birmingham for the Guardian, says there is a history of grievances between the Asian and black communities in parts of Birmingham that threatens to further inflame the situation.

Meanwhile live-blogs editor Matt Wells describes the challenge of accurately covering such a fast-moving complex story in numerous unpredictable locations.